Professor PARROT was highly hung over from his extreme night of drinking. I've been making him breakfast and taking care of my beloved professor. WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING OUTSIDE OF BULLYING AND MAKING FUN OF PEOPLE.

because I'm taking care of PARROT I will not be in class.

I don't know about the other teachers, I've been to busy helping my beloved PARROT.

I am not a suck up.

Semicolons.....

Are confusing....three different times they are used.....

when the two parts of the sentence are balanced, opposed or contradictory:
"My wife would like tea; I would prefer coffee."

Between independent clauses linked with a transitional phrase or a conjunctive adverb:
"Everyone knows he is guilty of committing the crime; of course, it will never be proven."

listing containing internal punctuation, especially parenthetic commas, where the semicolons function as serial commas:
"The people present were Jamie, who came from New Zealand; John, the milkman's son; and George, a gaunt kind of man."

I will say that in dogfight English and with all of the "fat thumbs" from myself and others in the game, that it will be difficult to play the game AND account for semicolons let alone all of the other punctuation one has to account for in normal english.

[brackets] can be a pain also.

I will use a quote from one of Davy's post so that I may illustrate one of the uses of brackets.
"I dont know about the other teachers, I've been to busy [because Davy is a SUCK UP] helping my beloved PARROT". Thank you Davy.















suck up

I am dropping out. Latley I have been just hanging around outside the local dug store, since there has been no class, and the manager decided to give me a job there seeing that I am alwyas hanging out in front of the drug store. (Points to those who can state the reference I am using here). Anyway good luck Davy and no you are not a suck up.

Bumb

Ej ymere. Minoa lampampää.

Maybe it's like asking you to throw pearls to the swine, but I'll ask anyway. Can you pick up this thread again?
I still need to learn more about the English language.

Tink,

Let me work up some lesson plans. I'll be taking requests.

I started this thread as joke really, but I've gotten so many PMs from non-native English speakers that it seems it's turned into something that actually educational and helped a few guys out. I'll be happy to carry on with it. Thanks for asking.

You know I need help.

Bin and been
Were and where
Hangars and hangers

"I started this thread as joke really,"

interesting that you said this PH...I originally thought that was the case too like many others....However I think its fabulous to have something like this with all the humor aside to assist foreign pilots for English...

Tink,

As I shared with you over PM, I once taught English as a Second Language (ESL). I spent a lot of time going over various expressions and idioms that were very confusing to non-native English speakers. Another thing that seemed confusing was contractions.

Is this something that causes you (or anyone else) problems?

You mentioned "were" which is the past tense of the verb "are". You were kicking my butt last time you were red.

Another way to say we are is "we're". We're good friends to have never actually met in person.

Just curious.

I would very much like that.
The fact that we don't have the same sentence structure is causing a bit of a problem sometimes too.

Oh, oh!

Please review the rules of the use of the apastraphy epistomy apostrophe! ( ' ) including why using only apostraphies is improper for use as an ingame name,


And the spelling rules related to weird vs wierd or wired.

Can I come back to class to or too or two? I know I dropped out but I am tired of picking up cig buts at the Ace Hole. Not a very well paying job. Please!!!

BTJ582 wrote: Can I come back to class to or too or two? I know I dropped out but I am tired of picking up cig buts at the Ace Hole. Not a very well paying job. Please!!!

Hey! We want some serious learning here!

Professor, just ignore BTJ in his tutu back there.

Ok ive noticed the new-comers to dogfight have trouble with takeoff......follow this guide.....

First make sure you're brakes are off....to do this press brake button (its brighter when brakes are on)
Next flip the throttle to the max and tilt your phone back...once you notice a climb in altitude level your phone out a little (this prevents stalling)

Hey presto you are airborne!

Why have I not noticed this thread before? What a wonderful idea, Parrot!

Tell me, are you interested in employing a teaching assistant?

Davy Crockett wrote: Dear PARROT, GARY THE PINK OR DOUGHENS or whoever the teacher is for crying out loud. I have a very perplexing question that has been haunting me for years.

Several times I have seen in a paragraph a COMA with a dot on top of it.

Why would a coma have a dot above it. Is it a special coma. What would make it be so special.

you three are so very smart, intelligent and sauve that I know you will have the answer.

I am not a suck up

Here, I can clarify this.

Semicolons are a tricky subject when it comes to English literature. You see people who pepper their sentences with them, and you see others who barely use them at all for fear of incorrectly applying them.

Well, like any other forms of punctuation, the usage of semicolons is not difficult as long as you keep some essential rules in mind.

Rule 1: Use a semicolon in between independent clauses that are closely related in theme.

An independent clause, at a basic description, is a sentence. It contains at least one subject, at least one verb, and expresses a complete thought. Now, the key words in this rule is that the independent clauses are closely related in theme. Below is an incorrect use of a semicolon.

Jane took a flight to visit her parents; the dog had to visit the vet.

Though the semicolon separates two independent clauses, the clauses have nothing to do with each other. Here's some examples of correct usage with this rule:

Tom earned his bachelor's degree in the summer; his sister earned hers in the fall.

The second clause is related to the first, implying the bachelor's degrees.

Rule 2: Use a semicolon before conjunctive adverbs and transitional phrases that join independent clauses.

A conjunctive adverb is an adverb that acts as a transition between independent clauses by showing comparison: also, therefore, finally, nevertheless, meanwhile, however…

A transitional phrase is like a conjunctive adverb, but it is usually an entire phrase rather than one word: as a matter of fact, in conclusion, in other words, on the contrary…

Examples of applied semicolons using Rule 2:

Phillip is studying for a degree in engineering; however, he is also interested in pursuing a music education degree.

Cindy has published a number of novels; in addition, she has a published volume of poetry.

Rule 3: For clarity, use semicolons in sentences that contain internal punctuation.

Consider the following examples:

For her son's birthday, Jenny purchased a chocolate cake with frosting, sprinkles, and candy toppings, a pair of red-striped running shoes, with light up heels, and a new mini-racetrack complete with cars, people, and miniature buildings.

OR

For her son's birthday, Jenny purchased a chocolate cake with frosting, sprinkles, and candy toppings; a pair of red-striped running shoes, with light up heels; and a new mini-racetrack complete with cars, people, and miniature buildings.

The second sentence has semicolons between the independent lists. It makes it easier for the reader to distinguish the message.

Remember, be careful not to overuse semicolons. Too much, and your sentences will look careless. But, it's nice to add one every now and then to make others think you know what you're doing.


....


How was that, Professor? Am I hired?

Hi.
Although only platinum boarders are participating in this Topic I will venture a few words.
For who does not have English as their native language is very hard to understand colloquial words, compressed words and phrases without punctuation. Both ingame chat like here.
And specially it is much more difficult to understand, write in English, answer, argue, aim and shoot all at the same time...
I liked this topic. I will come at classes from Monday to Friday!
Kind regards.

Ohhh my, oh my.
Luna your knowledge is astonishing (as always), but you lost me halfway.
My old eyes and slow mind would love it if you could simplify your teaching in this class. I get the feeling I stepped into advance English class.

Of course, let me boil it down. Apologies.

You should use a semicolon between two seperate expressions that are related to each other:

"I passed the test; she did not."

"Max couldn't go on; he was still tired from the previous run."

Use a semicolon before a transition word or phrase:

"She didn't study; therefore, she received a low score."

Use a semicolon for clarity, like clarifying a list within a list. Rule 3 above shows an example.

Hey, looking for some help. In english class today, we had to grade other students essays. This is NOT my essay. I just figured yall could use the humor...

We had to write a intro paragraph for a prompt about whether or not the school week should be reduced, including a thesis statement. This was written by a high school student

(Zoom in for a better view)

Hi Big C, I'd be happy to help you out.

From the looks of it, you guys are writing a persuasive essay. The first step is to consider the prompt and pick a side. Your friend here chose to be against reduced school weeks.

Now, when writing an introductory paragraph for a persuasive essay, there should be the following items: Attention Grabber - Background Information - Thesis

The thesis is the most important part; it sums up your entire point and should be only one sentence. The problem that I'm seeing with this paragraph is that the thesis is stretched out over several sentences. The point of the first paragraph is to INTRODUCE, not EXPLAIN. Usually, in a standard essay, you have three body paragraphs that hit three different points of your thesis. Your friend here already has three points:

-Loss of education time

-Loss of productivity (students will do nothing)

-Increase in expenses

So, what your friend should do is rewrite these points into one sentence, creating a strong thesis. I would do something like this:

I believe schools should not reduce the school week because students will have less oppritunity to learn, productivity will be lost, and expenses will increase due to more resources required at the household.

Once that's finished, your friend should go on to the body paragraphs, addressing the three points of the thesis and providing supporting evidence.

Also, your friend should avoid a sarcastic/condescending tone. No name calling. Aside from that and a few spelling/grammatical errors, this intro should be gold!

...I'm curious, what grade did you give this paper? And also, if you don't mind me asking, what year of high school are you in?

Hey ya'll,

Thought you could use the humor. See, there's this high school guy who has a school assignment to correct and grade something that a classmate wrote. He posted it on a forum for an online English class, asking for help but also showing the paragraph, because it just rambled on and on. I couldn't believe he asked for help on school work! And then, one of the smarty forum members gave him help! Well, it wasn't quite word by word mark-ups, and it was more like teach-someone-to-fish help, so it didn't finish it for him.

(See above for a view of the post)

Just ribbing you guys

Thank you, Luna.

Would it be proper to write:

I had always felt unsure about the correct use of a semicolon; until now.

Shouldn't I have a question mark in there somewhere?

In fact, please tell me, how badly am I slaughtering my own native language with improper use of colons, semicolons and commas; hyphens, parenthesis, "single quotes" or "double quotes", and the... (what's the name of the "/" symbol?); or by misusing "..." to portray a pause in thought; or come to think of it, .... never mind.

I'm hopeless. I'm sure there are first year ESL students who know more about the English-language than I.

(Smart people are so intimidating!)

My Dear Luna,

There is absolutely no need for you to apply. Your qualifications have been proven long before I started this thread. You are most welcome to jump in any time.

My only suggestion, for this thread, is to keep it simple. It's great to see you on the forum again, by the way.


Now for Tink...

When I refer to contractions, I mean grammar. If you are having contraction while trying to read or write, you should consult a physician. Contractions are shorten or combined versions of two words. This is usually a noun and some form of the verb, "is".

Is - 's - what's - what is his name - what's his name
Are - 're - you're - you are - you're not getting this are you?
Am - 'm - I'm - I'm trying to explain
It's - it is - remember from an earlier lesson that use of an apostrophe ( ' ) with "it" is only used to say "it is". If you see "its" without the apostrophe, it should be to show possession. The dog chased its tail. Think of it like you would his or hers.

Also common, is the use of will or would. These are usually used with a pronoun (he, she, it) or proper noun (person's name).
He'll - he will
She'd - she would
It'll - it will

The word "not" is also contracted often.

Shouldn't - should not
Don't - would not
Can't - cannot
Shan't - shall not (this one could be really confusing, but is used less frequently)
Isn't - is not (This can be used in the form of a question. Isn't it true? Is it not true?"
Won't - will not - this one can be confusing too because it does not resemble the words "will not"
Ain't - also a form of not, but formally considered poor English used by ignorant people. It is used much more commonly in present day conversation than when I was young. Young and old alike use it often, without negative impact. It should still be avoided in a formal document. Ain't can be used for any of the other forms of "not" above.

Lastly, my favorite contraction is y'all, meaning "you all". This is also very informal and usually considered a "Southern" term here in the US.

Contractions should always be spelled using an apostrophe. However, when flying around shooting reds and trying not to get shot, it is difficult to type them correctly. Hopefully, this post will help you recognize those words when you are in-game.

Thank you.
A big difference between English and Swedish, is that in Swedish we put s after a lot of words.
for example:
Bil - car, a non specific; any car
Bilen - the car, a specific car; mine, your, or a certain car
Bilar - cars
Bilarna - those cars
Bilens (ratt) - (the steering wheel) of the car
Bilarnas (hjul) - (the wheels) of the cars

The s in "bilens ratt" tell us that the car own the steering wheel (ratt) or that it belongs to it.

This is causing me wanting to put s after words in English too.
That doesn't always work.
The s in English makes it plural

That right Tink. An "s" makes things plural an apostrophe before an "s" ( 's) can show ownership. Anders's car.

I'm sorry. I know this can be confusing. It why I brought it up. An apostrophe-s ( 's ) can also be a contraction.

Example: Anders's going moose hunting. Or... Anders is going moose hunting.


By the way... Over here Ratt was an 80s metal hair band. Well, it was kinda like metal... Back then

www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=ratt%20y...vm=bv.56146854,d.cWc

Im about to ask a question which some may find simple but.....

My wife has now been published twice, however..... one publisher had put a capital letter after a comma, the other didn't .....so parrot and luna - thoughts please?

check his out